Tractor.



T. V. BUCKWALTER.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED (IAN. 2l. 1913.

Patented Mar.v17,1914.

2 SHEETS-BHBBT Z.

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' TER, a citizen of the l ing the vertical journals 4 and 4b To allwhom, 'it may concern:

nected to blocks 8-which are Athe lever.

TRACY v. BUGKWALTER, or AnTooNA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACTOR.

Be it known that I, TRACY V. BUoKwAL- United States, residi 4at Altoona,in the. county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Tractors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to improved means for steeringtract-ors, but it will be understood thatnit is applicableto moregeneral use. It is adapted especially for turning traction wheels onYthe yaxes of knuckles with which they are connected, and its leadingobject is to provide lsimple, du'- rable and efficient means forsimultaneously shifting the wheels at the opposite ends of` thetractorin opposite directions.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the frame andWheels fof a tra'etor having my improvementsl applied thereto, partsbeing shown in section; Fig. 2 is an irregular sectional View taken onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3T3of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 isa sectional view showin-g details taken on theline4`4C of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the steering wheeland connections, the housing being broken away.

The improvements, in the formillustrated in the drawings, are applied toa tiaotor engine-comprising the wheelsy I, the axles 2 which carry theframe 3, t-he knuckles 4 havengaging the axle bearings 2a and 2b and thespindles le on whichV thev wheels are journaled, the arms 5 and 5. fixed.to the respective knuckles, and the links 6 each pivotally connected toan arm 5 and a corresponding arm 5,.- Rods 7 are provided with yokes 7pivotally connected with arms 5 (of the respective levers 5') extendingbeyond the links 6, and with the yokes 7 pivotally conpivot-allyconnectedwithin' the yokes 9 of the respective arms 9, whereby the parts7 and 9 are connected by gi'mbal joints. I

The arms 9 'are fixed on the opposite ends of arod 10 extendinglongitudinally of the frame 3- and journaled in the bearingsll carriedthereby.l A lever 12 is `fixed at its center on the shaft 10intermediately thereof and rods 13 are'pivotally Yconnected at theirllower ends to the respective ends or arms of These rods are housedWithin a casing 14 mounted on the frame 3. Gear wheels 15 are journaled(within the casing) wheel 21 fixed thereon.

by the spindles 16 connected ends of the rods 13, the spindles beingguided by slots 17 in 4the casing. The gear wheels 15 mesh with thecircularvrack 18 carried within the casing 0r -housing and with a pinion.19 fixed on the shaft 20 journaled in the casing, the shaft 20 havingasteering In operation, when the traction wheels l are parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the machine, or the latter is moving straightAahead,.the steering mechanism is in the .neutral position shown indesired to shift the traction wheels, say to the position shown vin Fig.l, the steering wheel 21 \is turned, the pinion 19l isv revolvedandrevolves'the gear wheels 15, which are also given a planetarymovement by reason of their engagement with the internally movement ofthe wlheels -15 moves the rods 13 in v( )ppositedirections and therebyrocks the lever 12, shaft 10 and arms 9, t-he latter acting through therods 7, the arms 7 the links' or connecting rods 6, and the arms 5wheels 1 are shifted.

Specification of Letters Patent. f Patented-Mar, 17, 1914, iApplicatinled January 21, 1913. Serial N 0. 743,291'.

with the vupiper Fig. 2. When it is toothed stationary @ear 18. The'planetary and 5 upon the knuckles 4 by which the Having' described myinvention, I claim:

l'. The combination with two sets of traction wheels, knuckles connectedtherewith and arms on said knuckles whereby they are oscillatable ontheir axes, of a journaled shaft, arms lixed on said shaft, means forconnecting the arms ofV said shaft with Athe arms of said knuckles,whereby said shaft is adapted to shift the respective sets of wheelssimultaneously in opposite directions, a revoluble steering wheel, andmeans comprising gears connecting said wheel and shaft.

2. The combination with traction wheels and knuckles connectedtherewith, of a journaled shaft, means connecting said shaft andknuckles, a pair of arms fixed to said shaft, a pair'of gear wheels,rods connecting said gear wheels with said arms, a toothed niember bywhich said gear wheels are fulcrumed and means comprising a pinionengaging said gear wheels. f

3. The'l combination of a frame, traction wheels, and knuckleslconnecting said frame and wheels, with a journaled shaft extendinglongitudinally of said frame, means connecting saidshaft and knuckleswhereby the rocking of said shafts shifts said wheels, and means forrocking said shaft, said' last named means comprisinga pair ofreciproeating rods,

rods, a. spur gear engaging said gear wheels,

and a circular rack concentric to'said spur gear and engaging said gearwheels.

4. The combination of the traction wheels, knuckles therefor, arms onsaid knuckles, a `jo'urnaled shaft, an arm iixed on said shaft, meanscomprising arod connecting the arm on said shaft with the arms on saidknuckles, and means for rocking said shaft, said last named `meanscomprising a pair of rods, gear wheels ournaled on said rods, a toothedmember by which said gear wheels are erigaged, a journaled steeringwheel, and a second toothed member movable by said steering wheel andengaging said gear wheels.

5. The combination of a frame, traction wheels, knuckles whereby saidwheels support said frame, armswhereby said knuckles are'oscillatedontheir axes to shift said wheels, a longitudinal shaft journaled on areshifted,

saidframe, means comprising arms fixed to said shaft and rods connectedvto said last named arms whereby said first named arms a lever fixed onsaid shaft, rods connected to the arms of said lever, revoluble gearwheels carried by said last named rods, a toothed member on which saidgear wheels are fulcrumed, a revoluble steering wheel, and a toothedmember revoluble by.

said steering .wheel and engaging said gear wheels.

6. Thecombination of a frame, traction l wheels, knuckles whereby saidwheels sup-v interna port said frame, arms whereby said knuckles areoscillatableon their axes to shift said wheels, a longitudinal shaftjournaled on said frame, means connecting said shaft and arms, a secondjournaled shaft, a wheel for operatinor said shaft, and means connectingsaid sha ts. y, i 7. The combination of a frame, traction wheels forsupporting the-respectiveyends thereof, knuckles connecting said wheelswith said frame, means for shifting said knuckles and wheels attheopposite ends of said frame simultaneously in opposite directions, saidmeans comprising a shaft extending longitudinally of said frame andadapted to be rocked to effect said movement, and means whereby saidshaft is rocked, said last named means comprising la gear wheel, a spurly toothed rack engaging said gear wheel. i

S. The combination of traction wheels,

knuckles connected therewith and means for rocking said knuckles andshifting said wheels, said means comprising a rock shaft, a handoperated steeringdevice and planetary mechanism operated by said device.

n testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand this 20th day of January,1913, in the lpresence of the subscribing witnesses.-

TRACY V. BUCKWALTER. Witnesses:

Gno. U. CUNNEY, Jos. G. DENNY, Jr.

ear engaging said gear wheel and an

